“For every fundamentalist who loves the Bible more than Christ, I’m willing to bet there is one emergent Christian who honors the Bible less than Christ did” from “Why We’re Not Emergent by Two Guys Who Should Be”

Have you ever found a baby bird that had fallen from it’s nest and tried to nurse it to a healthy life? It’s possible but not easy.

Once the baby bird has lost it’s way, often times the mother bird abandons it to the elements, leaves it unprotected from predators, and suffers it to starve for provision.

It reminds me of a proverb in the Bible. Proverbs is a collection of sayings from King Solomon who had asked God for wisdom which is displayed in these eternal truths.

As I skimmed through Proverbs 27, I came across verse 8 that says….

“Like a bird that strays from it’s nest is a man who strays from his home.”

Often times, people find themselves feeling like they have fallen out of the nest. They are lost, exposed, and hurting with similar feelings to the baby bird fallen to the ground.

As I did a quick study of some of the reasons birds stray from their nest, it struck me that it’s similar of how people stray from home (a life with Christ).

Weather – Storms and unexpected wind currents often times will knock a young bird right out of it’s home in the same way the storms of this life can do to us. A move, job loss, family member passing, addiction and other challenges leave us feeling lost and beaten.

Inexperience – Juvenile birds making their first migration without the lead of a mature bird often times undershoot or overshoot their destinations. Sometimes, we too head boldly on a path without instruction, mentorship, or God’s map to find where He was leading us all along.

Wanderers – Some types of birds have been known to simply be wanderers and undertake destinations that are not within their normal environments. In the same way, we sometimes look for places that are not ours but it just seems the “grass is greener on the other side”. These situations can show up as marital affairs, shortcuts that lead to failure in the work place, or going against God’s ways to obtain something we want in the moment.

Whatever the reason, falling out of the “nest” leaves us feeling just as hungry, lonely, and abandoned as the infant robin alone on the ground. However, the good news is God does not abandon us there like a mama bird does to her young. He is just a whisper away willing to offer you forgiveness, direction and provision when you lean back into Him to find mercy and grace abounds!

In Matthew 23: 37, Jesus refers to himself as a mother hen who longs to gather her chicks (you and me) under her wings (for protection, love, and care) but that often times, we are unwilling.

Will you choose to not “stray” but “stay” with the Lord? Trust me, it’s much better in the nest.

There are many positives to being a relational person and being a pastor. You get to partner with many in life with deeper relationships, and see how God moves in other’s lives.

One of the hardest parts though is when people draw close to you when they need help or are going through hard times but then bolt again once the life of this world gets a little easier. It is heartbreaking when people come for an ounce of hope in a dark season but walk away from a eternal spring of power that’s inviting them in Christ. So many people walk right back into lives of struggle, bad decisions, and/or loneliness (even though they found a boyfriend or girlfriend that they think is going to fix everything only to be dumped a few months later).

While the door is always open for them to come back, it still hurts to watch them go through more struggle they could avoid with Christ and Christian community in their life.

The point of this is if it breaks my heart, I am certain that it breaks our Savior’s heart even more. So many in this world come to Him for a quick fix when things are rough and then walk away again instead of following Him. We see it time and time again in Jesus’ life and far too often in our world today. It breaks His heart when we use Him like a parachute instead of falling into His arms as our salvation.

If this is you, know that He too keeps the door open and would love for you to turn around today. He too would like to give you a new life instead of just patching up a hole and walking back out the door. He is a relational God and He wants to have a relationship with you.

Mother’s Day… Wishing everyone a happy day tomorrow but in the midst of enjoying your day with family, please also tuck in the back of your mind that this holiday is a very tough one for a lot of your friends and maybe even your family members.

Think about your single friends that are still looking for prince charming. I didn’t get married until I was 28 and every church service where the moms were recognized reminded me that I still hadn’t found Mr. Right yet and wasn’t any closer to starting a family of my own.

Consider those around you that have had miscarriages and/or lost a child. This holiday is one more reminder of what could have been.

What about the families that are not able to have children and are mourning that loss? Please give them an extra hug.

Also, on a personal note, I ask that you consider your friends and family members that are on the adoption path. The stress of a “paper pregnancy” and always wondering when you’ll get that call is a lot to bear. Mother’s Day was one of those holidays during that time in my life that I would rather have stayed home “sick”. I knew my time would come, but it hadn’t yet… and my heart ached because of the unknown.

And on a final note, please love on those whose moms have either passed away or have maybe never even been a part of their lives. A child (no matter how old they may be) without a mother close by needs your love as well.

So with all that being said… enjoy your day tomorrow and please be sensitive to those around you. Be a blessing and be blessed!

Welcome

Hi, I'm Tom and this is my web-site. Sometimes, within ministry, it seems there are only two options.....to be a believer of the Scripture and be seen as being self righteous, judgmental, and hyprocritical or believe you have to water down the Bible to being loving, merciful, and full of grace. Well, I fall in the middle of all that...I am an emerging conservative. I am in love with the community and relational spirituality as seen in the Bible and the ministry of Jesus Christ and believe we can have it here today! Join in on the conversation, won't you?